1. Field of the Invention
This invention has to do with articles of clothing which incorporate elastic stretch fabric and fit tightly to the body, for sports use or for general muscular support. Particular examples are described in relation to swimsuits, which are a preferred application, but the concepts described here can be applied to other kinds of specialised support or athletic wear.
2. Background
A variety of known sports garments, particularly swimsuits, but also athletic shorts and long johns, are made from elasticated stretch fabric which fits closely and tightly against the body. In recent years use has been made of various fabrics with high elastane content which, according to the knit used, combine various degrees of elastic stretch with a high stretch constant to press more firmly against the body surf ace for a given degree of stretch. In racing swimsuits this reduces the entry of water between the suit and bodyxe2x80x94a source of dragxe2x80x94and avoids the sliding of the fabric over the skin. It can also reduce muscle vibration which is believed to be a cause of fatigue and body drag in swimming.
We now propose novel structures for articles of clothing of the kind described enabling improvements in achieving a highly-tensioned fit over the body, especially lower back and abdominal fit, and also preferably taking account of the disposition of muscles over the body.
In general terms, we have found that useful tensioned fit effects can be achieved by a special disposition of seams joining panels of elasticated stretch fabric in an article of clothing of the kind described. We have combined intensive investigation on the desired tensile elastic properties of various parts of the garment, in relation to athletic activities, with the observation that these elastic properties can be modified using the seams. In simple terms, introduction of a seam across a span of stretch fabric reduces the stretchability, i.e. potentially increases a degree of tensioning, in a direction transverse to the seam. In one particular development, we have found a novel positioning of seams which can be specifically used to improve tensioned lower back or abdominal fit in an athletic garment e.g. a racing swimsuit, covering the torso. In another, overlapping development we have found a disposition of seams providing an improved tensioned fit extending from the waist down onto the legs.
In one aspect of the invention we provide an article of clothing of stretchable elasticated fabric which covers at least the torso, having a waist region which surrounds the abdomen and is dimensioned and constructed to fit closely and under high tension around the wearers waist or lower back relative to the tension around the broader and stiffer chest and pelvic regions above and below. To achieve this we propose a particular arrangement of panel seams. In this arrangement the front or back of the suit, and preferably both has at each side (right and left) a pair of tensioning panel seams. From a convergence at the respective side of the waist, a lower one of these tensioning panel seams extends inwardly (medially) and downwardly onto the pelvic region and an upper one extends inwardly (medially) and upwardly to the neck region. We have found that these seams converging towards the sides at the waist provide a good structure for achieving a close tensioned fit of the suit.
At the waist side convergence the upper and lower panel seams preferably meet, are continuous or are linked by a connecting seam. Additionally, they preferably meet or are continuous with corresponding panel seams extending around to the opposite face (front or back) of the body. Most preferably these latter are tensioning panel seams in an arrangement as described above. The seams constitute a high-strength, relatively low extensibility feature. By having them meet top-to-bottom and/or back-to-front, tension which can be sustained in the fabric panels at this region is increased.
Note that this controlled distribution of tension for close fit is achievable using the same fabric stretch characteristics in the fabric of the different panels joined by the seams, unlike the suits described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,839,122 in whichxe2x80x94for different reasonsxe2x80x94panels of particularly stretch-resistant fabric are incorporated along selected axes of the suit. Likewise it can be achieved with a single layer of the fabric over the suit, by contrast with U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,847 which resorts to incorporating strapping beneath fabric panels to provide muscular support.
In terms of the shape of the fabric panels, the arrangement of tensioning seams described above may manifest itself as a generally rhomboidal or guadrilobed fabric region cantered on the abdomen (front) and/or lumbar region (back). Left and right side lobes correspond to the above-mentioned convergence of upper and lower panels seams. A top lobe extends up between the upper panel seams towards, and preferably reaching, the neck opening of the suit. A bottom lobe extends down towards the groin where it may terminate, or continue further if the suit has legs. Such an abdominal or lumbar panel may optionally have a vertical central seam for ease of manufacture, and this may incorporate a zip fastener for the suit.
It should be appreciated that the upper tensioning seams described here are distinct from the conventional sleeve-joining seams of a known sleeved suit. The latter pass closely under the armpit and do not approach the waist region. In our proposal the upper seams extend right down to the waist region, preferably from at or adjacent the front or back of the neck rather than from the adjacent shoulder joint. There is a close convergence or coincidence of the upper and lower panel seams at each side of the waist. Furthermore, even in a legless suit we generally provide a fabric panel to each side of the pelvis, laterally outside the lower tensioning seam(s), because these seams serve a distinct function in tensioning the adjacent fabric.
A further aspect of the present proposals applies generally to articles of clothing comprising panels of stretchable elasticated fabric fitting closely to the body. In this aspect, for at least one and preferably more than one different kind of the following active muscle areas;
shoulder girdle front;
shoulder girdle rears
gluteus maximus;
hamstring muscles;
quadriceps femoris;
gastrocnemius,
tibialis posterior, and
tibialis anterior;
(for each of which the left and right areas are separate but of the same kind), muscle area-specific fabric islands or zones are provided, bordered by panel-joining seams extending, preferably convexly curved, in surrounding or conformal relation to the respective muscle area. Preferably within the island or zone is a single uninterrupted fabric region. This has been found to improve tensioned fitting over the muscle groups concerned, and contrasts with previous swimming suits in which the provision of seams has been minimised, generally being restricted to the simplest centre lines, side lines and sleeve/leg attachments, and regarded as a necessary evil.
For the shoulder girdle, front or rear, the corresponding seam may join the shoulder panel to an abdominal or lumbar fabric region of the article and extend downwardly from adjacent the neck, curving laterally towards the waist. The specific front and rear muscle groups which may be affected are described later. As will be appreciated, this seam may also constitute an upper tensioning seam of the first aspect of our invention discussed above.
For each gluteal region (left and right) a respective panel island or zone can be provided. Preferably left and right gluteal zones are separated by a medial posterior fabric portion, or similar fabric. The characteristic seam for each gluteal zone can have a medial portion which curves up and out laterally towards the waist (for articles of clothing having a waist/torso part) and/or down and out laterally towards the outside of the upper leg (for articles of clothing having legs). The gluteal zone may have a lateral joining seam at the side of the pelvis, optionally extending down the outside of the upper leg. It will be appreciated that, in embodiments of the first aspect where a torso region of an article of clothing has the upper and lower side tensioning seams at the back, the lower of these may coincide with the seams for the gluteal zone boundaries at either side.
For articles of clothing having legs, a panel-joining seam for a fabric panel zone for the upper leg hamstring muscles may extend e.g. as an outwardly convex curve, from adjacent to the inside of the knee laterally out, up behind the leg and then medially inwardly again close below the gluteal region. Thus, it may complement a gluteal seam as mentioned above; their seams may be formed as a single continuous seam with oppositely-curved portions bordering the hamstring and gluteal regions respectively.
It will be appreciated from this instance that the muscle area boundary seams need not entirely surround or isolate the muscle areas. There may be a nexus or isthmus of one fabric region to another in directions where tensioning is less important, to reduce the number of fabric panels used.
For suits having legs, a fabric panel for the quadriceps region (front) of the upper leg may have an upper joining seam along the line of the groin. In suits embodying the first aspect above, this may also be the lower tensioning seam extending from the groin up around to the side of the waist. An outer side seam for the quadriceps region may be provided extending up and down the outside of the upper leg, preferably posteriorly convex. This may be separated by an intervening fabric region (e.g. a continuation down from the gluteal zone panel) from a hamstring muscle zone panel as mentioned above. Where the suit includes a lower leg covering, this may have a transverse seam at the knee separating the quadriceps region from the lower leg region. A corresponding transverse seam may also be provided at the back of the knee, far tensioning along the back of the leg.
Where there is a lower leg portion, panels specific for the tibialis anterior or posterior and/or gastrocnemius may be bordered by a panel-joining seam in the form of a loop which is elongate up the leg, preferably closed around its top adjacent the knee.
Where the suit has arms, preferably an upper torso panel of the suit has a shoulder region with a internal deltoid extension or xe2x80x98epaulettexe2x80x99 out onto the outer side of the upper arm where it terminates at a transverse boundary with one or more longitudinal arm panels. Arm panels may be further longitudinally sub-divided by a transverse seam at the elbow, back and/or front.
One novel useful option, presented here also as an independent proposal in relation to a suit having arms is that the fabric at the inside of the forearm may be more uneven than the fabric at other parts of the suit, e.g. a rough-weave fabric. This is analogous to high-performance swimmers"" practice in not shaving their forearms, the aim being to promote minor surface turbulence over the surface and thereby avoid gross flow separation and eddies behind the arm which adversely affect the motion of the arm through the water.
The elastic stretch fabric used to make the suit may be of any suitable kind. Fabrics of high stretch constant e.g. polyester elastanes as conventionally used for making high-performance swimwear, are within the skilled person""s routine knowledge.
Insofar as the article of clothing is dimensioned and seamed to achieve high tension over the wearer""s body, it is preferred, as already widely practised in racing swimwear to use Flatlock or Flatseam (flat seams made with e.g. six or seven spools of thread and which cover the fabric edges) for the panel seams. It is also desirable in the present proposals to increase the number of stitches per unit length in the relevant seams. At least at high tension regions of the suit (e.g. abdominal/lower back tensioning seams mentioned above) the number of stitches per 3 cm is preferably at least 20 and more preferably at least 24.
Other measures may be used for reducing the drag of the suit in the water. One option is the use of longitudinal water-repellent stripes e.g. printed with fluorocarbon such as PTFE. This is known. Another possibility is the application of arrays of small surface protrusions at suit regions where the wearer""s body curves to a rearward-facing surface, particularly the chest in women""s suits. See e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,522, WO96/2052, JP-A-09/111514. These and other similar proposals have the effect of delaying boundary layer breakaway on the body surface.
A further new proposal herein is to provide extra insert panels localised at the inside angle of arm or leg joints, i.e. at the armpit or groin. By inserting discrete panels the fit of the garment can be tailored closer to the body, reducing the normal tendency for high tension in the surrounding fabric to space fabric away from the body surface at these regions.
The garment may cover e.g.
(i) the whole body, including the full length of the arms and legs;
(ii) as (i) but not the arms;
(iii) as (i) or (ii) but not the legs, or the legs only down to knee-length;
(iv) the midriff and legs only, either full-length (long-john), shorts or knee-shorts
(v) the torso only, i.e. no arms or legs.